Promoting Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction
CMS will propose reforms in Medicare and Medicaid regulations to increase the ability of health care professionals to devote resources to improving patient care by eliminating or reducing requirements that impede quality patient care or divert activities away from providing high quality patient care. The proposed rule will eliminate or modify many existing requirements imposed on health care providers. Slated for inclusion in this reform are:
- Existing rules relating to the list of operating room emergency equipment that must be available in an ambulatory surgery center and a duplicative infection control program requirement for those facilities;
- Rules barring reenrollment for failure to respond to requests for information; rules governing deactivation of providers and suppliers; and
- Permitting greater flexibility for meeting the conditions of participation for Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded.
Other changes to eliminate redundant or unnecessary rules are also contemplated. CMS estimates that the total savings from these reforms could approach $200 million CMS intends to publish the proposed rule in September 2011.
